Apparatus for softening water.



No. 819,885. PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

A A. R. HLMEN.

APPARATUS POR SOFTBNING WATERI APPLICATION FILED sEPT.29,19o5.

m www M.AN

UNTE STATES Parana" roeren.

l Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented may s, 190e.

pplication filed September 29, 1905. Serial No. 286,685.

To ad zul/tom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AXLE R. HOLMEN, a subject of the KinCr of Sweden andNorway, residing at Columbus, county of Franklin, and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ap aratus forSoftening Water, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for softening water,and more particularly to that class of apparatus in which the lime inthe water is treated chemically to form an insoluble compound which maybie removed by precipitation,- as by mixing with the raw water asolution of milk of lime and soft Water and thoroughly agitating themixture with the raw water to be treated, then adding a solution ofsoda-ash to change the sulfate of lime to hydrate of lime, which in turnacts on the bicarbonate of lime in the water, forming a precipitablecarbonate of lime. v

The object of the invention is the provision of means whereby theraw-water supply governs the amount of chemical solution to be addedthereto, so that the proportion of each will be equal to the amountrequired to soften the water.

A further object of the invention is the novel means for driving therespective parts and the novel means for proportionately mixing thedifferent chemicals with the water to be treated, so that prior toentering the seittlinfT-tank the water and chemicals are thoroughlycommingled, giving the soda-ash solution opportunity to act on thelime..

Further objects'of the invention will be a parent to those versed in theart when the specification is rea-d in conneotion'with the accompanyingdrawing, which forms a part of this application, and in which the figureshown is a diagrammatic View of my improved apparatus. Referring more es)ecially to thedrawing, 1 represents a suital) e tank which is adaptedto contain a milk-of-lime solution, and 2 re resents a similar tankadapted to contain a supply of soda-ash solution. The solutions in eachare lirst treated analytically to ascertain the requisite strength, andknowing the proportion of raw water supplied and the amount of solutionspumped the strength of the solutions is made to obtain the properprecipitation. 4

The numeral 3 designates the raw-watersupply pipe, which furnishes thewater to be treated to the motor 4 and which is provided with a suitablevalve 5, by which the supply may be regulated or cut off. This motor maybe of any suitable type which will advantageously perform the Workrequired; but in practice l prefer to use a rotary motor, as with thistype I am enabled to govern the amount of water supplied with eachrotation of the piston of said mot-0r. The iston of the motor isprovided with a centra shaft 6, which is journaled in both sides in thecasing of said motor and extends to one side thereof for a considerabledistance, where at the end it is provided with a sprocketwheel 7,connected by a sprocket-chain 8 with a similar wheel 9, keyed to a shaft10, mount-ed within and extending to the center of themilk-of-lime-solution tank 1, where it is provided with a toothed pinion11,'adapted to mesh with a similar pinion 12, keyed to the verticalshaft 13 of themixer 14. In juxtaposed relation with the sprocket-wheel7 is another s rocket-wheel 15, keyed to the shaft 6 and djrving,through the sprocketchain 16, the mixer-shaft 17, which is journaled inbearings 18, mounted on the removable ends 19 of the mixing-drum 20.This mixing-drum is divided into separate compartments 21 and 22 for themixing of the soft water and the milk of lime and the rawwater and thesoda-ash solution, respectively, by a foraminous partition 23, and ineach of the compartments 21 and 22 theny rs secured to the casinginwardly-projeeting arms 24, between which are similar arms secured tothe shaft 17 and which project radially therefrom.

Mounted upon any suitable support and in proper relationship with theshaft is the soft-water pump 25, which receives its supply of soft waterfrom above the filter 26, located in the upper portion of thesettlingtank 27, through the pipe 28 andconveys its discharge to thecompartment 21 through the pipe 29. Upon the op osite side of the shaftis located the milk-o -lime pump, receiving, through pipe 31 andcheck-valve 32, the agitated solution from tank 1. F rom there it ispumped through check-valve 33 into pipe 34, which enters pipe 29 justprior to its entrance into the compartment 21. The checkvalves 32 and 33are provided to prevent the solution from being forced back into thetank 1 and into the pump 30 from the force derived from the pump 25.

On the opposite side of the shaft 6 to that Leading from the check-valve37 is the disof large proportions the water rises slowly to on which islocated the sprocket-wheels 7 and 3.5 and on the other side of the motor4 in the same relationto the shaft 6 as the pump 30 is a pump 35,similar in every respect to the pump 30 and also provided withcheckvalves 36 and 37 and an inlet-pipe 38, which runs from the soda-ashtank to the pump.

charge-pipe 39, adapted to deliver the soda-' ash solution to themixing-drum 20. Oneach side of the motor and ke ed to the shaft 6 areeccentrics 40, 41, an 42, connected directly to the piston-rods of thepumps 25, 30, and 35, res ectively, so as to drive them one stroke eacfor each revolution of the motor-shaft.

After the water has been treated in the mixing-d rum 20 'it is conveyedby pipe 43 to a point near the bottom of the settling-tank 27, where itis provided with a depending L, so that the water is normally forcedtoward the bottom of the tank, and the tank being and through the filter26, ythus allowing it ample time for precipitation, Above the filter 26there is provided an outlet-pipe 45 for the purified water, and at thebottom of the tank there is provided a valved outlet 46, by which thesediment or precipitate may be removed.

The motor 4 is provided with a dischargepipe 4a, adapted to deliver theraw water to the mixing-drum at a point adjacent the partition 23. Theoperation is as follows: The sodaash and milk-of-lime solution tanks arefilled with their respective solutions of the requisite strength and thevalve leading to the raw-water motor opened, allowing the water to flowtherethrough, thus starting it in motion and causing .the shaft 6 toturn, which operates the pumps 25, 30, and 35, the mixing device of themixing-drum, andthe stirring device of the lime-solution tank. Milk oflime now enters the pump 30 and is conveyed through pipe 34 to theintersection of this pipe .and pipe 29, where it meets the softwaterfrom pump 25 and is then conveyed to the compartment 21, where it isthoroughly mixed and agitated. Passing on through compartment 2]. andthrough the partition 23 this solution of milk of lime and soft watermeets the volumeof raw water from the water-motor 4, where the solutionacts upon the water to change the soluble bicarbonate of lime in thewater 'tov carbonate of lime. After passing for a short distance throughthe mixer this solution encounters the soda-ash solution from pump 35,which acts u on the water to be softened to change the su fate of limeinto hydrate of lime, which in turn acts upon the bicarbonate of lime inthe water, formin an insoluble recipitate, which settles to t c bottomof the settlingtank and is th'ere carried o3 through the outi let 46.The water thus treated rises in the tank, where it is further acted uponby the filter 26, which completes the operation.

I am fully aware of the fact that lime and soda have been used before asprecipitating agents; but I do not wish to have my invention limitedthereto, as waters having different properties require the use ofdifferent precipitating agents, which may be applied in accordance withmy invention equally as i well,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let-v l, In a water-purifyin apparatus, the combination with aclose mixing-chamber having a foraminous dividing member andinwardly-projecting arms, of stirrers rotating between said arms awater-suppl fed to said mixer under pressure, means or regulating theamount of water supplied to said mixer, a motor in said supply, suitablesources of chemical-supply connected to said mixer, and means operatedby said motor fdr supplying the chemicals to said mixer.

2. In a water-purifyin apparatus, the combination with a closemixing-chamber having a foraminous dividing member, andinwardly-projecting arms on each side of said member, of stirrers on acentral shaft adapted to play between said arms, a water-supply fed tosaid mixer under pressure, means.

for regulating the amount of water supplied to said mixer, suitablesources of chemicalsupply connected to said mixer, a motor in saidsupply and means between the source of chemical-supply and the mixer anddriven by the motor for positively and proportionately supplying thechemicals to the mixer. i

IOO

IOS

3. In a waterepurifying apparatus, the

combination with a vclosed mixing-chamber having a forammous d1v1d1ngmember, and

inwardly-projecting arms on each side of said member, of stirrers on acentral shaft adapted to play between said arms, a water-supply fed tosaid mixer under ressure, means for regulating the amount o 'watersupplied to said mixer, suitable sources of' chemical-supply connectedto said mixer, a motor in said supply, means between the source ofchemical-supply and the mixer and driven by the motor tor positively andproportionately supplying the chemicals to the mixer, a softwatersupply, and means whereby the soft' water is proportionately mixed withone of' the said chemicalsprior to its entrance into the mixer. I y

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my 1 signature in presence of twowitnesses.

AXLE R. HOLMEN.

Witnesses:

C. E. Jusrron, THED. WEYANT.

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